Local

Baylor's progress continues and he even has a girlfriend!

I just got back from taking Baylor to Boot Camp. He couldn’t wait to get out of the car and ran right into Barking Dog Fitness at Rocky’s Retreat.

Baylor immediately made a b-line for his girlfriend, Callie, a 1-year-old yellow lab who is also getting fit.

These two have a neat connection. The moment Callie saw Baylor, her tail was wagging like crazy and they started to play tug of war. They are adorable together.

For the first time today I got to see Baylor working out on the dog tread mill.  I can’t wait to show you this video next week. Baylor did a great job.  He had a fitness vest on that weighs about 3.5 pounds and then he went to work!  He was panting a lot and got tired but you could tell he was getting a great work out.

Before we left we put Baylor on the scale and he’s lost more weight. His coaches are pleased with his progress and say he is getting strong every week. We can tell a difference, too. At home, Baylor has more energy and just seems happier.

Then we stopped by the SCPA of Central Florida to learn more about how obesity impacts our animals. More than half of 14,000 pets that come through the shelter every year are overweight.

Kerri Burns, the SPCA’s executive director, told me these pets have all kind of health issues because they are carrying too much weight. Hip issues, joint issues, liver issues, cancer, the list goes on and on. When the owners can’t afford the vet bills to get their pets healthy they turn the pets over to the SPCA.

As I looked into the cages, I said to myself that so many of the sweet dogs and cats would still be in homes if their owners had not overfed them.

Walking through the shelter, seeing overweight dogs and cats, really made me realize the importance of getting our pets in shape. If we stop overfeeding our animals, love them with praise rather than “treats” and give them more exercise, they have a much better chance of living at home with us for a long time.  We will also save thousands of dollars on vet bills.

I hope this series is encouraging you to feed your pets less junk and to give them more love and exercise.

If you've been inspired by Baylor's Boot Camp and plan to run with us for the Run for Rescues, we would love to hear from you. Please send me an email at Vanessa.welch@wftv.com.

We want to feature you and your pets in an upcoming story as we get Baylor ready for the SCPA’s Run for Rescues.

I’ll see you next Tuesday on Eyewitness News at noon. Tune in to see Baylor working out on the treadmill and flirting with his girlfriend, Callie.

--Vanessa and Ba ylor